In your quest to find the best possible medical care for yourself or a loved one, you’ve probably come across this term. So, what is subacute care, and how is it different from other medical treatment centers? Let’s take a closer look at these important places where healing happens.
It’s understandable that you want to know more about subacute care, and what this service means in terms of what you or a loved one can expect should you need it. In short, subacute care is a medical care setting where patients require more complex, round-the-clock care. A “skilled nursing facility” isn’t really a specific type of facility, as there are many medical settings where skilled nursing may become appropriate, ranging from short-term rehabilitation all the way to permanent long term care.
Subacute Care implies a high level of care requiring special training and even specific licensing. Skilled care involves RNs, occupational therapists, respiratory therapists, speech therapists, and other specialists who have undergone specific study to become an expert in their area of medical care.
Duties performed by skilled nurses can include important functions like IV administration, ongoing wound care, and individualized physical therapy treatment.
As mentioned before, skilled nurses appear in a variety of different medical settings, and are able to provide personalized treatment for many different needs. One of the common places to find skilled nurses is at a skilled nursing facility, which is a place where residents need help with daily tasks in order to maximize their quality of life while maintaining as much independence as possible.
Some long term care centers, which provide subacute care, like Sierra Care, offer a wide range of services from short-term rehab and care to long-term care. Skilled nurses are also vital team members in short-term needs where a patient may need more complex care for a set period before leaving the facility altogether.
If you’re considering a medical facility that employs skilled nurses, like Sierra Care, you’re already on the right track. Particularly for people with multiple conditions, or a specific rehabilitation need that requires specialist help to maximize the eventual outcome, skilled nursing is a much-needed service that can make a huge impact on a patient’s life.
It never hurts to visit a facility in advance to learn about the skilled nurses on staff and their unique areas of expertise. You can also get a sense of their personalities, their way of working, and their philosophy when it comes to both rehabilitation and daily living assistance.
At Sierra Care, we’re proud to staff some of the finest skilled nurses in the industry. We believe that our nurses are a primary reason why we see such positive health outcomes from the patients that come through our doors — they are truly heroes to us, and we’re proud to call them our friends and teammates.
